1. A need to belong: what leads girls to join gangs?
Lorraine Khan
Associate Director,
Children and young People

2. Key messages Girls in gangs are
much more vulnerable than other young women who get into trouble
vulnerable in many different ways
vulnerable throughout their lives

3. Data and literature review
8029 Young people screened across 37 sites
80 young women identified with gang associations
Tracking 28 risk factors and health difficulties
Comprehensive review of the literature
Between August 2011 and November 2012
E.g
Parental mental illness and substance misuse
Maltreatment
Neglect
Family conflict and family violence
Sexual abuse
Childhood conduct problems
Self harm history
Mental and physical health problems
Experience of bullying
School underperformance and exclusion
Aged

4. Girls in gangs: multiple vulnerabilities
Table 2: breakdown of average number of vulnerabilities per capita
General youth justice entrant
Female entrants
Boys with gang associations
Girls with gang associations
2.9
3.7
7.0
9.5
Girls in gangs have higher numbers of multiple vulnerabilities

5. Family based risk factors
Girls in gangs are…
5 times more likely to have parent in prison
3 times more likely to have parent with mental health/substance misuse problems
Nearly 4 times more likely to have sibling involved in anti-social behaviour
More than 3 times more likely to experience neglect and family conflict
2.5 times more likely to have experienced domestic violence
So what risks are we talking about?

6. Relationships
Girls in gangs times more likely to experience poor relationships

7. 4 times more likely to be bullied
Victimisation
Girls in gangs are…
4 times more likely to be bullied
3 times more likely to be physically abused
3 times more likely to have been sexually abused
and to have sexual health problems

8. Mental health and well being
40% had signs of early starting behavioural difficulties
Most common and damaging childhood mental health problem
Rarely picked up/life course tracking/flag for multiple poor outcomes/

9. What behaviour? Over 4 times more likely to have run away
28% had been excluded and non attendance and under performance was higher compared to other girls
62% involved in aggression/violent acts
Nearly 3 times more likely to be using drugs/alcohol
Over 5 times more likely to be involved in risky sexual activity

10. Mental health and well being
A third had patterns of self-harm or suicide risks
A quarter had a diagnosable mental health difficulty
A third had experienced bereavement
A third had sleeping/eating problems
Trauma identified as key risk in literature
Economica

11. Safeguarding and other health needs
Twice as likely to be on a child protection plan
Twice as likely to be in foster care
As likely as other female entrants to have current or previous LAC status
Twice as likely to be homeless

12. Other issues
5 x more likely than other girls to have a developmental difficulty
4 x more likely to have dentistry needs
3 x more likely to have eyesight problem

13. Need a two pronged strategy
Prevention is better than cure
But when girls join gangs - need safe and gender-specific exit pathways
What can we do about it?
Multiple opportunities to create safety nets to pick up these girls needs Builds assets

14. Prevention priorities
All sector commitment - making every contact count
Reduce maltreatment/neglect and build resilience
Intervene early at the first signs of poor child mental health – early behaviour is important
Evidence-based outreach approaches
Support children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing in schools

15. Girls enter gangs for different reasons…
So they need different routes out which…
make use of and help build positive attachments
support self-esteem, aspiration and empowerment
create safe female spaces and safe exit pathways
address histories of victimisation and trauma
Finally…..easy to engage with
Outreach youth, gender specific services, health work and voluntary sector programmes are critical
rent reasons…

16. Challenges in the system
Austerity measures are affecting early intervention and prevention…
e.g. schools

17. And yet… Without prevention, these girls…
drift into high costs services
carry forward legacies of disadvantage and victimisation
Impact on community well-being

18. Summary Girls in gangs are: They need: highly vulnerable and costly
whole-system, preventative, and life-course approaches to:
help them flourish
reduce accumulation of risk
gender-specific, evidence -based and safe exit routes should they end up in gangs

19. Thank you